May 15, 2007
Seraphim Falls: Throwback Western
Reviewer: Craig Phillips
Rating (out of 5): ***½
David Von Ancken's Seraphim Falls is in many ways a throwback Western, shades of Anthony Mann and John Ford: a vengeance tale, simply told, with beauty and reverence. If it sometimes feels a little too sparse and if the ending's a bit muddled, the crispness of the storytelling throughout holds your attention. In fact, the first twenty minutes or so of what is essentially a chase film - with Liam Neeson, a Confederate named Carver, and a posse tracking Pierce Brosnan's (Bond with a beard here) retired Union Colonel Gideon in the Western wilderness - are enthralling, and nearly dialogue-free as Von Ancken keeps things moving at a near breathless clip. We don't fully come to understand why Carver is so bent on cutting down Gideon until much farther into the film, but there's enough emotional weight to carry the story along. Their pursuit and battle begins in the snowy mountains and carries them through valleys and forests, and, finally to the parched, sizzling-hot desert - beautifully photographed by Oscar-winning cinematographer John Toll - as they each encounter people with troubles of their own (a poor, isolated ranching family, a work camp, Mormons, thieves, and, oddest of all, a ghost-like medicine woman played by Anjelica Huston). Both Brosnan and Neeson make for terrific foils, with Brosnan giving his physical all to the more devilish Gideon (get it?) and Neeson ultimately giving the film its empathetic soul. Von Ancken's direction can be a little too heavy-handed here, but the story overall is a rather gripping yarn.
For those who pine, "they don't make 'em like this anymore" when watching a Western from the 1950s, well, here's one film just for you.
Posted by cphillips at May 15, 2007 12:11 PMOh-Oh, Craig: our first big disagreement since maybe The Naked Spur. I agree with you about the first 20 minutes, but then the movie starts to fall apart, by the end splintering into utter silliness. Funny, I just finished watching it this afternoon and thought, Hmmmm--I'll see if maybe Mr. Phillips might want to post a REALLY bad review on GURU. But you beat me to the punch--with a good one. So I'll make do with posting on the movie's site.
Posted by: James van Maanen at May 15, 2007 4:45 PMHee! Well, I agree the first 20 minutes is the best - and the ending is (as I think I mention above) a bit of a letdown, though not completely unsatisfying. There are a few silly parts, but I thought it was pretty engaging and well-shot. No classic, but as a throwback, I liked it. But I look forward to your disagreement!
CP
Posted by: Craig P at May 15, 2007 11:30 PM
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